


A Rarer Metal

by sherlocks_skeletal_warlock



Series: But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Allergies, Blue-Eyed Alec, Human AU, M/M, Malec, alec is a dork, camille is a bitch, flower shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlocks_skeletal_warlock/pseuds/sherlocks_skeletal_warlock
Summary: Alec doesn't want to work at a flower shop to pay his way through college, but he also wants to have a place to live. Besides, meeting Magnus Bane may have just been worth the allergic reactions.





	A Rarer Metal

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [All Worth It In The End](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6855220) by [ninwrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites). 



> So this is the first of my collection of Malec AUs, inspired by a post on tumblr by nerds-are-cool and a few other AU ideas.  
> This is based off the prompts that 'Person A is allergic to flowers but works in a flower shop. Person B is confused.' and 'Person B storms into Person A's flower shop asking for a bouquet of 'fuck you' flowers.'  
> I do hope you all like it.

 

Alec Lightwood couldn’t say that he enjoyed working at his part time job, _Gold Crown Flowers_. Mainly because he was allergic to flowers. When he got the job, Isabelle had questioned him for 3 days about why he had decided to make himself feel like shit every time he went to work.

But in cold, hard terms, student life was hard. And whilst his parents had approved of him studying law, they had not approved of Alec coming out as gay three days before he moved out for his second year at college. They’d promised to pay for his course, but only so that they could brag about how he was studying law.

They had refused to pay for any of his living.

And _Gold Crown Flowers_ had needed a part time employee and were paying him well. So, Alec took allergy medication every day and just got on with his work, working the late shift after his lectures.

* * *

 

But today really wasn’t going Alec’s way. He’d slept through his alarm and had been 20 minutes late to his lecture which meant that he hadn’t had time to shower, was wearing black jeans with a stain on them and his grey hoodie had three holes in the sleeves. On top of that, he had forgotten his allergy medication. And so, within 5 minutes of dragging himself into work after his disastrous morning, Alec was sneezing and his eyes were itchy and red. Luckily, the shop was quiet on this cold Thursday afternoon as winter began to set in around Brooklyn. He just hoped that it would stay quiet until he could lock up in a few hours.

But Alec’s bad luck persisted.

After just thirty minutes of hiding in the back office from the pollen, there was the sound of a tinkling bell. A customer. Alec groaned and slipped out from the back, to come stand behind the counter and _forgot to breathe_.

The man was _beautiful_.

And rather pissed off from the way he stormed straight up to the desk, brandishing a twenty-dollar note.

“Tell me, fine sir, how do you say, ‘fuck off’ in flowers?”

Alec’s mouth dropped open.

“’Fuck off?’” He repeated weakly.

“Yes!” said the beautiful man earnestly. “Or maybe, ‘I hope you are smote by some heavenly being into the hell-scape that you truly deserve.’”

“Well, um, I could make something with yellow carnations for rejection, geraniums for stupidity, pink larkspur for fickleness, marigold for jealousy, narcissus for egotism…” Alec reels off, thinking about all the negative flower connotations. The beautiful man’s eyes lit up and it was then that Alec noticed their entrancing green/yellow colour.

“That sounds perfect,” He peered at Alec’s badge, “Alec.”

“So, um, may I ask who deserves this violent ‘fuck you’ bouquet?” Alec asked, trying to focus on collecting the correct flowers, not sneezing and not checking out the beautiful man.

“My ex, Camille,” he said, waving a hand flamboyantly. “A cheating bitch, by other terms.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that -”

“Magnus. My name is Magnus.” Alec could have melted into the floor at the perfect smile that Magnus shot in his direction. He tugged the geraniums out of their container and went to speak to Magnus again when he got a face full of pollen.

And Alec _sneezed_.

He sneezed so hard his shoulders shook and he had to clutch the flowers to his chest so he didn’t drop them. Magnus’s eyebrows rose.

“Forgive me for saying, but are you allergic to those?” Alec nodded miserably as he finished gathering the bouquet.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Then why, of all the places on this good earth, did you choose to work in a flower shop?” Magnus seemed more amused than anything else.

“Uh, poor students don’t have much of a choice in work?” He offers and Magnus’s smile softened as Alec headed over to the counter to wrap up the bouquet of offensive flowers.

“Ah, I see. I graduated only a few years ago so I remember that struggle. Did a major in business and a minor in fashion.”

“I’m studying law. Second year now, but yeah, this is paying for my rent. I mean, usually, I take my medication so it’s not so bad, but I woke up late today.” He admits as he rings up the flowers. “That’s, um, that 23 dollars, please.” Alec takes a deep breath, still trying not to tie himself in verbal knots as he fights his allergies and the overwhelming desire to stare at Magnus’s ass. The man in question hands over the cash wordlessly and scoops up the flowers.

“Well, Alec, thank you so much for this lovely bouquet of ‘fuck you.’ I’ll make sure she knows exactly what each flower means. And you, call me.” With that, Magnus is gone before Alec can protest that he doesn’t have his number. But when he moves to put the cash in the register, a scrap of paper falls out, with a number casually scrawled across it and a small flower.

 _Magnus’s number_.

And Alec grinned. Perhaps his bad luck was over.

* * *

 

It took Alec three days to pluck up the courage to call Magnus. Well, call was misleading, because he merely texted him.

**To Magnus:**

**Hi, it’s Alec. The florist who’s allergic to flowers? How did the bouquet of ‘fuck you’ go down?**

**From Magnus:**

**Hello, my dear! It went very well. She simpered and smiled. Until I explained what the flowers meant and she kicked me out. It was all rather worth it.**

Magnus finished his message with a small army of yellow smiling faces, alternating between one that was just smiling, one with tears and one with a small blush. Alec didn’t really understand these smiling faces but they were nice. They seemed like a thing that Magnus would send.

Even if he had only spoken to him once and didn’t even know his last name. Before Alec could think up an appropriate response, Magnus texted him again,

**From Magnus:**

**I was wondering if I could take you out for coffee? To thank you for your help with the flowers. And, because I desperately want to see you again.**

Three attempts. It took Alec three attempts to respond.

**To Magnus:**

**I would like that. My lectures finish at 1 tomorrow so I could come meet you after then? I would like to see you too.**

He groaned as he sent it because it sounded so formal and stiff but he had never been very good a flirting in any capacity. Magnus didn’t seem to care.

**From Magnus:**

**I will pick you up at 2 then, my blue-eyed beauty.**

This was finished by a group of yellow faces with hearts for eyes and several ones blowing kisses. Alec could feel the heat rising in his cheeks already.

* * *

 

“Izzy, I was wondering if you could help me because I have a date and the last time he saw me I looked a mess, so I need to make up for that and-”

“And you like him,” finished his sister, smirking as she stepped into his room to rife through his wardrobe. Isabelle was infinitely better at this. But then again, she was going to take a minor in fashion alongside her major in forensics. Within moments, she had selected a black fitted shirt and a pair of ripped grey jeans which were always a little too skinny for Alec’s liking. But he had asked for her help and he would be damned if he wasn’t going to take it.

Within ten minutes, Alec was stood, waiting for Magnus at _Gold Crown Flowers_ , specifically _outside_ the flower shop. He was hoping to get through this date without looking like a complete wreck. Magnus approached, all stride and purpose and he looked _wonderful._

His maroon shirt was tight enough for Alec to notice some very attractive biceps and his jeans made his ass look like sin. Alec wasn’t sure if he could get through this date already.

“Alec! It is lovely to see you when you don’t look like you’re clawing at your own eyes,” Magnus teased and let his eyes rake appreciatively over Alec. “You look dashing.”

“You, you’re not so bad yourself,” Alec managed to stutter out as Magnus smiled, taking his arm.

“Why, thank you.”

The coffee shop that Magnus took him to was quiet and calming. Alec could feel the tension seep out of his shoulders as they sat opposite each other, sipping their coffees. Magnus had chuckled when Alec had ordered his usual black coffee, saying that it ‘just seemed like a very, you thing, darling’. But then again, vanilla latte also seemed to suit Magnus.

Magnus was easy to talk to, Alec was surprised to find. Despite how distractingly attractive he was, he was a patient listener and he was appreciative of the anecdotes that Alec gave him, about himself, about his siblings, about his law course and even about _Gold Crown Flowers_.

And when they were practically thrown out of the coffee shop by the tired workers who just wanted to clean up, Magnus turned to him and said,

“You’re a rare man, Alexander.”

“Me?” Alec managed to choke out and Magnus smiled softly, like Alec was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

“Yes. I would very much like to do this again.” And Alec spoke before he could overthink it.

“As would I. But, next time, it’s my turn to plan the date.”

And Magnus beamed.

“I’ll await your call then, my dear.” Magnus turned to go, but Alec reached out and caught his wrist.

“What about Sunday? I’ll take you out for a meal.”

“Sunday it is.” Magnus had twisted his hand to hold Alec’s in his gently. “I will look forward to it.” His voice was soft and gentle in a way that Alec hadn’t heard before. And before he could lose his nerve, Alec leant forward and brushed his lips over Magnus’s incrementally. He had meant to pull back immediately but Magnus surged forwards, cupping Alec’s cheek with his free hand and kissing him firmly.

When Alec finally had to pull back for oxygen, Magnus gave him a crooked grin and repeated himself,

“You are a very rare man, Alexander. And if you kiss me like that after every date, I’m going to have to keep asking you out.” Alec laughed quietly and gently kissed his cheek.

“I think I can cope with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that my flower meanings weren't too horrific, I did lots of googling to try and find some that worked.
> 
> The title comes from the quote about Alec being silver whereas Jace is gold, but silver is rarer metal and I love it.


End file.
